Device for controlling the flow of fluids



ill

' water to a condenser.

Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT HARLAN s. GANO, or WILKINSBURG, AND ivrA'rsoN c. TERRY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING- comrANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW 0F FLUIDS.

Application filed September 12, 1923. Serial No. 662,301.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARLAN S. GANo and MArsoN C. TERRY, citizens of the United States, and residents of Wilkinsburg and Philadelphia, res ectively, in the counties of Allegheny and hiladelphia, respectively, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for cont-rolling the Flow of Fluids, of which the following is a specification.

Uur invention relates to devices for controlling the flow of fluids in response to temperature and pressure conditions and it has for an object to provide apparatus of the character designated which shall be of simple and rugged construction, and which shall exercise a very sensitive control over the flow of the fluid in response, not only to the variations in temperature and pressure prevailing within an apparatus to which the fluid is delivered, but also in response to,

variations in the temperature and pressure of the fluid itself.

These and other objects, which will be -made apparent throughout the further description of the invention, may be obtained by the employment of apparatus hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a view in sectional elevation of one form of device in which our invention may be practiced.

Our device may be readily employed, for example, to control the flow of cooling By its use, the flow of the cooling water is controlled, not only in response to the temperature and pressure of the controlling medium but also in re sponse to variations in the temperature of the water prior to its entrance into the condenser. In this manner, a perfect heat balance may be maintained at all times and a steady, uniform performance of the apparatus effected, resulting in a substantial increase in efliciency.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description of our invention, we show a casing 10 having provided therein a fluid inlet port- 11 and a fluid outlet port 12. Secured to the casing 10 is a cover plate 13 having provided therein a port 14 for connecting to the apparatus to which the fluid is to be delivered. Interposed between the casing 10 and the cover plate 13 is a bimetallic diaphragm consisting of two flexible metallic diaphragms 15 and 16 composed of materials having relatively diflerent coefiicients of expansion such as, for example,

steel and brass. The two materials may be welded or rolled together. The diaphragm 15 having the lesser coefficient of expansion may be arranged adjacent to the cover plate 13 while the diaphragm 16 having the greater coefiicient of expansion may be arranged adjacent to the casing 10. The

'and 12 is a dividing wall 21 having provided therein a conical valve seat 22. Associated therewith is a valve 23 which is secured to a spindle 24 by means of a nut 25. The nut 25 engages a threaded portion 26 of the spindle. The spindle-24 is maintained in axial alignment by a bearing 27 and is provided with a palm 28 which bears against the diaphragm. The bearing 27 is secured by means of ribs 29 to the casing 10. The valve 23 is biased to a closed position by a spring 31, which is maintained under compression by the nut 25 and the adjusting nut 32. The adjusting nut 32 engages screw threads 33 provided in the casing 10, by means of which the location of the adjusting nut 32 may be altered and the compressive force of the spring 31 regulated. The lower end of the casing 10 is closed by means of a plug 34 which engages the threads 33 and makes a fluid-tight joint with the casing by means of a suitable gasket 35. The operation of the above embodiment of our invention is as follows: The inlet 11 inlet port 11, the compartment becomes filled and pressure 15 exerted upon the valve 23 tending to hold it closed. Upon a predetermined increase in the temperature or pressure of the medium in contact with the up per surface of the bi-metallic diaphragm, the latter will act to move the valve 23 from its seat 22 to permit fluid to enter the upper compartment of the casing 10 and to flow through the out-let port 12 to the apparatus. The pressure of the fluid upon entering the upper compartment of the casing 10 is ex erted upon the lower surface of the bi-metallic diaphragm and tends to slightly reduce the extent of the initial valve opening. The temperature of the fluid also affects the diaphragm and causes a deflection thereof, the extent and direction of which depend upon the difference in temperature of the .fluid with respect to that of the medium acting upon the upper surface of the diaphragm. In this manner, the controlling device makes immediate response to changes in the temperature of the controlled fluid, thereby insuring a highly uniform and efficient performance of the controlled apparatus at all times.

Should the pressure or temperature of the fluid acting upon the upper surface of the bi-metallic diaphragm become less, the latter will retract and partly close the valve, and, upon sufficient reduction in temperature or pressure, will shut off the supply of fluid entirely. If, during the flow of the fluid, the temperature thereof should change, this change will immediately react upon the diaphragm to alter the position of the valve.

Should it be desired at any time to slightly alter the initial temperature or pressure required to open th valve, this may be readily accomplished by removing the plug 34 and screwing upwardly or downwardly the adjusting nut 82. 1

Apparatus of the character disclosed herem is especially adapted for use in connection with compression refrigerators of the household type which employ water as a condensing medium, and in which our apparatus may be employed to control the flow of the water through the condensing coils in response to the temperature and pressure prevailing within the condensing chamber and in response to changes in the temperature and pressure of the cooling water. As the amount of water employed is a rather important item in the operating costs of apparatus of this type, very careful flow regulation is highly desirable. We have found, that with the use of the apparatus heretofore described, extremely sensitive regulation of the amount of water entering the refrigerator may be obtained without care or attention for almost indefinite periods of time.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled asaaosi.

in the art that it is not so limited,but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

That we claim is:

1. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a flexible diaphragm composed of materials having relatively different coefficients of expansion, means for subjecting that portion of the diaphragm having the greater coefficient of expansion to the temperature of a fluid, means for subjecting that portion of the diaphragm having the lesser coeflicient of expansion to the temperature of a medium, and means for controlling the flow of the fluid in response to movements of the diaphragm.

2. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a flexible bi-metallic diaphragm, means for subjecting one side of said diaphgarm to the temperature and pressure of a controlling medium, means for subjecting the opposite side of said dia phragm to the temperature and pressure of a fluid, and means for controlling the flow of said fluid in response to movements of the diaphragm.

3. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a casing, inlet and outlet means for the passage of a fluid provided in the casing, valve means for controlling the flow of the fluid through the casing, and a bi-metallic diaphragm for actuating said valve means, said bi-metallic diaphragm being so arranged in the casing as to be subject on one side to the temperature and pressure of the fluid and upon its opposite side to the temperature and pressure of an extraneous medium, whereby the flow of the fluid is controlled in response to variations in the temperature and pressure of said fluid and to the temperature and pressure of said medium.

4. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a casing having a valve seat provided therein, a valve associated with said valve seat, fluid inlet and outlet means provided in the casing on oppositely disposed sides of the valve seat, and a bi-metallic diaphragm disposed on the outlet side of the valve for actuating the same, said diaphragm being subject upon its one side to the temperature and pressure of the fluid passing through the casing and upon its opposite side to the temperature and pressure of an extraneous medium.

5. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a casing, a bimetallic diaphragm disposed therein, means provided within the casing for subjecting one side of said diaphragm to the temperaiteaoei ture and pressure of an extraneous medium, fluid inlet and outlet 'means so arranged within the casing as to subject the opposite side oft-he diaphragm to the temperature and pressure of the fluid, valve means interposed in the path of said fluid, and connecting means between the bi-metallic diaphragm and the valve means for actuating the latter in response to movements in the diaphragm.

t). lln a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a casing, inlet and outlet means for the passage of a fluid provided in the casing, valve means disposed in the path of said fluid, a bi-metallic diaphragm for actuatingthe valve means, said bi-metallic diaphragm being subject upon one portion to the temperature and pressure of the fluid passing through the casing and upon a second portion to the temperature and pressure of an extraneous medium, and means for biasing said valve to a closed position.

7. In a device for controlling thefiow of fluid, the combination of a casing, inlet and outlet means for the passage of a fluid provided in the casing, valve means disposed in the path of the fliud, a bi-metallic diaphragm for actuating the valve means, said bimetallic diaphragm being subject upon one side to the temperature and pressure of the fluid passing through the casing and upon its opposite. side to the temperature and pressure of an extraneous medium, and adjustable means for biasing said valve to a closed position.

8. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a casing, a fluid inlet and an outlet provided in the casing, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the casing, and a bimetallic diaphragm subject to the temperature and pressure of the fluid for actuating the valve.

9. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a casing, a fluid inlet and an outlet provided in the casing, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the casing, and a bimetallic diaphragm subject to the temperature and pressure of the entering fluid for actuating the valve.

10. In a device for controlling the flow of fiuid, the combination of a casing, a fluid inlet and an outlet provided in the casing, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the casing, and a bimetallic diaphragm subject on one side to the temperature and pressure of the entering fluid for controlling the movements of the valve.

11. In a device for controlling the flow of fluid, the combination of a casing, fluid inlet and outlet means rovided in the casing, a valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the casing, a bimetallic diaphragm movable in response to both the temperature and pressure of the fluid for actuating the valve, and means for biasing the valve to a closed position. I

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 8th day of August, 1923.

HARLAN S. GANO. MATSON C. TERRY. 

